Advancing the Development of National Childhood Cancer-care Strategies in Latin America
The burden of cancer morbidity and mortality will fall most heavily on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The recent UN Political Declaration on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) calls on each Member State to incorporate NCDs – principally, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease and cancer – into their health plans and development agendas. Taking action on childhood cancer is also a key component to addressing several global strategic objectives, including the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 (which calls for a two-thirds reduction in global child mortality by 2015), the UN Secretary-General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, and the WHO-led Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.